Bonnie Stern’s cookbooks of the year

People used to admit rather sheepishly that they took cookbooks to bed with them to read before they went to sleep. Now everyone reads cookbooks in bed and they’re very proud of it. And cookbooks, over the last few years, have risen to the occasion by becoming more and more like story books. If you look at the best books of 2012 (or at least ones that I like best), they contain recipes, but there’s also stories about authors, restaurants, countries, blogs, recipes, science and lots of information about single subjects. There’s something for everyone. Another noticeable change is that many books, especially by chefs or European authors, list ingredients by weight (in metric), so a kitchen scale is also a great gift for those who love to cook. My favourite one is digital and goes up to 5 kg (11 lbs).

Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi(Appetite, $39.95) It is hard to beat the story of Yotam Ottolenghi, a Jew, and Sami Tamimi, a Palestinian, business partners in restaurants in London who came together to write a book about memories and recipes from their respective childhoods in Jerusalem. And the best part is that their recipes are as delicious as their stories.

Gran Cocina Latina: The Food of Latin America by Maricel E. Presilla(Norton, $47.50) This epic work by chef, restaurateur and historian Maricel Presilla is a great read and joy to cook from. Her information on ingredients and techniques and her own perception of the similarities and differences between the food of Latin American countries and how they come together in America is both intelligent and personal.

The Kitchen Diaries 2: A Year of Simple Suppers by Nigel Slater (HarperCollins, $43.99) One of the original storytelling chefs, Nigel Slater’s writing is always engaging — bloggish before there ever was a blog. Travel through the seasons with one of Britain’s most-loved food writers.

The Food52 Cookbook, Volume 2 by Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs (William Morrow, $33) Food52.com is an award-winning website that features the best recipes from talented home cooks from all over the world. The recipes in the book have been voted the best by the Food52 community and then professionally edited and tested for the book. The stories of the recipe creators, how and why the recipes work and why they are loved are what makes this book so special.

AUNT MARIAH’S LEMON SPONGE CUPSA perfect dessert after a heavy holiday meal, this recipe is delicious warm or cold, with or without whipped cream.
– 2 tbsp butter, at room temperature
– 1 cup sugar
– ¼ cup all-purpose flour
– pinch of salt
– grated peel & juice of one lemon
– 3 eggs, separated
– 1½ cups whole milk
– whipped cream, optional1. Cream butter in a large bowl. Beat in sugar, flour, salt, lemon peel and juice.2. In a small bowl beat egg yolks and stir in milk. Slowly whisk egg mixture into lemon mixture.3. Whip egg whites until stiff and gently fold into batter. Pour into 8 buttered ramekins (about 6 oz each) and place in a baking pan of hot water (to come up to the middle of ramekins). Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 40 to 45 minutes. You will have a layer of lemon custard on the bottom and a lightly browned sponge on top.4. Serve in or turn out of ramekins, with or without whipped cream. Makes 8 to 10 ramekins

My Berlin Kitchen by Luisa Weiss(Penguin, $28.50) I loved reading this memoir with recipes by the author of the popular Wednesday Chef food blog. Luisa Weiss tells the story of how she rediscovered the home of her heart and fell in love along the way. Well-written, warm and personal.

SOUR CHERRY QUARKAUFLAUFRecipes at the end of each chapter tell a story in this book. Weiss remembers having this rustic souffle as a child when her nanny, Joanie, takes her to East Berlin to visit a relative. Quark is a delicious naturally low-fat European-style fresh cheese that is available at health stores and most supermarkets. Serve for brunch or lunch.
– 3 eggs, separated
– ½ cup sugar
– 1 lb quark
– grated zest of one lemon
– ½ tsp baking powder
– ½ tsp cinnamon
– ¼ cup farina (original Cream of Wheat)
– 2 cups pitted sour cherries (fresh or preserved), drained if in juice
– pinch of salt1. In a large bowl beat egg yolks and sugar for a minute or two until pale yellow. Beat in quark, lemon peel, baking powder, cinnamon and farina until smooth. Fold in cherries.2. In a spotlessly clean bowl whip egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form medium peaks. With a spatula fold half the whites into the cheese mixture to lighten it and then fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain.3. Pour mixture into a buttered 8×11-inch, 2½-inch deep casserole or baking dish and bake in a preheated 375F oven for 30 minutes or until mixture has set and started to brown. Do not worry if there is a crack or two in the top. Serve hot or warm. Makes 6 servings

AND ELSEWHERE ON 2012’S SHELVES

Burma: Rivers of Flavor by Naomi Duguid (Random House Canada, $39.95) For this book, author Naomi Duguid focuses her travelogue-with-recipes genre on the country also known as Myanmar. Follow her adventures as she discovers the people, the history and recipes of this country, which has never been more fascinating to learn more about.

The Lebanese Kitchen by Salma Hage (Phaidon, $49.95) This is a massive collection of Lebanese recipes, techniques and traditions. Salma Hage is a chef and home cook who has prepared extensive family meals from recipes handed down to her through the generations.

Smitten Kitchen by Deb Perelman (Appetite, $35) Creator of the blog sensation Smitten Kitchen, Perelman is beloved for her funny anecdotes about perfecting recipes, being a newlywed and a new mother, market shopping and everyday culinary adventures. Great photography and approachable recipes with great flavour.

An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler (Scribner, $28.99) A beautifully written book of essays about food and cooking to inspire the home cook and everyone who reads it. Good food doesn’t have to be about pomp and circumstance.

Bouchon Bakery by Thomas Keller and Sebastian Rouxel (Thomas Allen & Son, $58.95) Another stunning book from the Thomas Keller group. Lots of recipes and tips for taking your baking to a more professional, exacting level.

Faviken by Magnus Nilsson (Phaidon, $49.95) This is the story of a restaurant in the middle of nowhere (600km north of Stockholm) and the chef who made it one of the most sought-after reservations in the world. The experience Nilsson describes for the diner is exactly the experience you have when you eat there. It’s a culinary adventure story best suited for chefs and dedicated foodies.

Mugartiz by Andoni Luis Aduriz (Phaidon, $55) The thought and care that goes into the customer experience at Mugaritz won me over completely. The message is clear about what it takes to be world-class.

The Science of Good Cooking from Cook’s Illustrated (America’s Test Kitchen, $43.95) An approachable explanation of how cooking works with hundreds of recipes as examples.

The Soup Sisters Cookbook edited by Sharon Hapton (Appetite, $22.95) This is the story of a great non-profit organization that provides comfort to women and children in need. An amazing feel-good gift!

Canada’s Favourite Recipes by Rose Murray and Elizabeth Baird (Whitecap, $40) Wonderful stories about Canadian history, culture, food, places and chefs by two of Canada’s favourite food writers. New and traditional recipes that are easy to cook and tell a story.